


Kisses, Curfew, and Consulting the Plan

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/F, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-07-08
Updated: 2006-07-08
Packaged: 2019-05-31 10:46:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15117743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "This is a journey Fitz has to take alone, no matter how much you and Nancy want to protect him."





	Kisses, Curfew, and Consulting the Plan

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Kisses, Curfew, and Consulting the Plan**

**by:** Montiese 

**Character(s):** Nancy, Lauren  
**Pairing(s):** Nancy/Lauren  
**Category(s):** Holiday  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Summary:** "This is a journey Fitz has to take alone, no matter how much you and Nancy want to protect him."   
**Written:** 2006-03-08  
**Author's Note:** This is #6 in the **Ultimate Happiness** series. Lauren, Fitz, Scooter, and Jimmy are all original characters, but I love them just as much as Nancy does. 

"OK, I think to make things easier in the years prior we will only buy one gift this year." 

The McNally-Pierdon family sat around the breakfast table on a snowy December Sunday. 

"Huh?" Fitz looked up from his pancakes. 

"One gift. That way there won't be so much pandemonium. And there will definitely be less trash." 

"Will there be a price limit?" Scooter asked. 

Lauren took the strawberry jam before he added more to his biscuits. 

"I don't know." Nancy said. "I would expect we can spend what we want. Use your own discretion. I already have some ideas about what I'm getting." 

The phone rang and Fitz leaned back in his chair to answer it. 

"Who calls someone at 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning?" Lauren asked. 

"Hello. Yo, dude. Oh hell yeah." 

"Excuse me?" Nancy asked. 

"Dude, call you back. Seriously, I gotta go. Seriously, I'll call you later. I'm going to church. Shut up. Bye." 

"Watch your mouth." Lauren said. 

"Sorry. I gotta go upstairs and get ready for church." 

Fitz cleaned his plate, carrying his cranapple juice upstairs with him. Scooter stood up too. 

"I better get ready too." He said. "Are you girls sure you don't want to go?" 

"No daddy, thank you. We're going to do some Christmas shopping." 

"Well don't forget that Jesus is the reason for the season." 

"Shut up Scooter." Nancy replied, getting up to refill her coffee. "Have a nice day." 

"Thank you Nance." 

"Do you have any idea what you are getting daddy for Christmas?" Lauren asked when Scooter was out of earshot. 

"I ordered it already. It's one of those elderly scooters." 

"Oh he won't like that. You know he doesn't like to be thought of as a senior citizen." 

"Trust me baby, he will love this." 

Nancy leaned over and gave Lauren a kiss. She went to pull away; Lauren grabbed her. Nancy smiled when they parted. 

"I figured since we're going to be alone for a little while…" Lauren began with a smile. 

"You are so damn horny." 

"Is that a no?" 

"Mmm, that is a maybe." 

Lauren smacked her ass and Nancy laughed. 

"I'll clean up down here and then we will have a bit of naptime." 

"Mum! Hey mum, I can't find my blue tie." 

"It's in the laundry room!" 

"See, that is why he screams all the time. You guys need to get that inside voice thing down." 

Nancy waited until Fitz barreled down the stairs to go up. She had to consult her Christmas list and call Jimmy to find out when he was coming to town. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

"OK, I have a bit of a problem." 

After church, Fitz and Scooter had lunch at Home. 

"What's the matter boy?" 

"Well…" 

"You can tell me anything. Oh good lord, you're not having sex are you?" 

"What! No! Why would you think something like that?" 

"You said you had a problem." 

"Yeah, but you said sex was not supposed to be a problem." Fitz replied. 

"It is for a 14 year old. So what's up?" 

"OK, so Thursday we were playing football in the yard." 

"I remember." 

"Right. So Meenah had the ball and Jeremy gave her the school bus treatment." 

"Ouch." 

"Yeah. So she hurt her arm and we went in the house to check it out. She um…Scooter, she took off her sweatshirt." 

"Was she naked?" he asked. 

"No, she just…she uh…" "Ah, I, figuring Meenah is now a _girl_ girl." 

"She has breasts." Fitz whispered. 

"It happens." 

"But they're…I think I was staring at them." 

"It happens." 

"She snapped at us." 

"You'll get used to it. Maintain eye contact at all costs." 

"Well I don't want Jeremy and the guys looking at her. He is my best friend and I wanted to belt him." 

"Yeah. If you want to be special to Ameenah, you have to make it known. Other boys are going to come calling soon. It is high school kid…you gotta kick it up a notch. Be like that boy, with the boombox on his head." 

"How do you know Lloyd Dobler? You're awesome." 

"Thanks. What are you going to buy her for Christmas?" 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Damn." 

Nancy's body slumped against Lauren's as she pulled the sheet up to cover their naked bodies. 

"Did you like that boo boo?" Lauren asked, sliding her tongue in Nancy's ear. 

"It was amazing. You're amazing." 

"I love you." 

Lauren held Nancy's face in her hands, kissing her softly. Nancy smiled. 

"Shouldn't we get up and go shopping?" Nancy asked. 

"I want to hold you a little while longer. Can't we just go tomorrow?" 

"We could, if you can handle the ridicule from your father and your son?" 

"Oh, he is my son now?" 

"Yes." 

They were kissing and Lauren giggled as she felt Nancy's fingers flutter between her thighs. 

"If we don't get up now, seriously I won't." Lauren said sighing. 

"Yeah, let's shower together. It will save time." 

"Oh you think? C'mon, it is now or ridicule." 

Breaking away, Lauren climbed out of bed. Nancy smiled at her as she put one hand behind her head. 

"You're absolutely beautiful." She said. 

Lauren smiled too, shaking her ass as she walked into the bathroom. Nancy got up too. It might not save time, but dammit, McNallys always got what they wanted. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"OK, so we got Frank, Miriam, and Sam. What should we get Maggie?" 

They were walking down 57th Street holding hands. The snow subsided but it was still very cold. 

"I'm not entirely sure. Remember we do have to ship it to DC." Nancy said. "Are you hungry? We could stop at Noodles and Company." 

They walked in the doorway of the restaurant and Lauren looked up. 

"Oh look, mistletoe." She said. 

Nancy didn't even look. She just looked at Lauren. 

"If you do it, I swear to God…" 

Lauren pulled her to her, sliding her tongue into Nancy's mouth. The former National Security Advisor flailed her arms but then they wrapped around Lauren's waist. When she pulled away, Nancy saw the whole restaurant was looking. 

"Merry Christmas Nance." Lauren whispered. 

Nancy pinched her cheek. 

"I love you. And I hope you enjoyed that because you're never getting any again." 

"Mmm hmm." 

They walked up to the counter. 

"Everybody's staring." Nancy muttered. 

"That's because you are beautiful." 

"Thank you baby. I'm still mad at you." 

At the table, Nancy pulled out her small spiral pad and began crossing names off the list. 

"We're going to get the Al Green boxed set for Nora but I won't cross her name off yet. I think Lynnie would like the Chanel No. 5 gift set." 

"Should I be concerned that you know exactly what to get Evelyn?" Lauren asked. 

"She's been married to Stephen for 144 years." 

"I know but…" 

"Baby, Lynnie is a friend…a good friend. Now what are going to get Maggie?" 

"Seriously, I have no idea. Taste this chicken." 

Nancy opened her mouth and Lauren slid her fork in there. 

"It is good." She slid her bowl over. "Try the tofu." 

"No thank you." 

"It's good. OK, if we buy Maggie and Sam a joint trip we could just get them a cruise. To Jamaica or something." 

"That sounds a bit expensive." Lauren replied. 

"Don't be a cheapskate…she is like your best friend. They never take vacations; I'm sure they can use one." 

"We got Sam the watch." 

"We will give it to Donna." Nancy said. "I will call the travel agent in the morning." 

"OK. Before we go home tonight we should stop at Best Buy and pick up the computer." 

"Yeah. Should we grab dinner too? I don't think there's anything in the kitchen." 

"Olive Garden takeout." Lauren replied. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"We got a tree." Fitz said when he heard his mothers come in. 

Nancy and Lauren walked into the den, staring at it. 

"Its enormous." Nancy said. 

"Only 7 ½ feet tall." Scooter replied. "Manitoba blue spruce." 

"How did it get here?" Lauren asked. 

"They delivered it from the tree farm in Westchester. Oh, Uncle Jimmy called mom. His plane comes in tomorrow at 4:30." 

"Good. We got dinner." 

"Sweet, I'm starving." Fitz said. 

"I think that's technically impossible." Lauren mumbled. 

The phone rang and Lauren answered it. 

"Hello. Hey CJ, what's going on?" 

She walked toward the kitchen with Fitz and Rupert in tow. Nancy grabbed the bags and went upstairs. As she walked past Fitz's room, his cell phone rang. She grabbed it. 

"Hello." 

"Um, is Fitz there please?" 

"Who's calling?" 

"Hillary." 

Who was Hillary? 

"He'll have to call you back." 

"OK. Thanks." 

Nancy flipped the phone closed. After dropping the bags on the bed, she called Fitz over the banister. 

"Yeah?" 

"Come up here please." 

Fitz came up the stairs and into his mother's bedroom. 

"What's up?" 

"Who is Hillary?" she handed the cell phone back. 

"You went through my cell phone?" his tone was incredulous. 

"It was ringing and I answered it. Who is Hillary?" 

"Mom…?" 

"See, this is the part where I ask you a question and you answer it." 

"She and I go to school together." He replied. 

"Is she a friend?" Nancy asked. 

"Not really. I mean, I guess. She is just a girl I know. I guess she's a friend. She called?" 

"Yeah. Is there something going on?" 

Fitz shook his head. He put his cell phone in his pocket. 

"Nope. I think she likes Jeremy; that's probably why she's calling." 

"OK. I just like to know what's going on with you. You're in high school and I know you want to break out and do your own thing but the things you're involved in concern Mum and I." 

"Yeah, I know. Can I eat it now?" 

"Go ahead." 

Fitz left the room and Nancy sighed. He was growing up too fast. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"What are you doing? Is something wrong?" 

Lauren sat up in bed and looked at Nancy. She sat on the loveseat looking through a leather bound portfolio. A gel pen was between her teeth. She seemed in deep concentration. 

"Nancy, what's the matter? What are you doing?" 

"Hmm? Did I wake you baby?" 

"No. I want to know what you are doing." 

"Consulting the plan." 

"It's got to be 2 in the morning…what plan?" 

" _The_ plan. Fitz is straying baby." 

"Is he? He got his report card last week and it only had two Bs. He is doing fine." 

"But there are girls calling all the time and he's…he's…" 

"Growing up Nance. This is when it starts to get difficult. Still I don't think we have anything to worry about." 

"I didn't like the sound of this Hillary girl. She sounds like a Valley girl." 

"I'm sure she is nice enough. He is a teenage boy and he's going to have many different friends. As tempting as it is it will be impossible to plan his whole life on a sheet of paper." 

Nancy sighed. 

"I just…I want to make sure that Fitz has African-American friends." 

"He does. What is this really about?" 

"What do you mean? I'm concerned about our son. Aren't you?" 

"Of course. What if brings home a white girl? I love Ameenah too but maybe they really are just best friends. He is half-white too Nance; why wouldn't a white girl be good enough? Am I not good enough?" 

"What? We are deviating far from the course of the original conversation." Nancy replied. 

"Yeah, maybe we are. Alright, don't stay up too late." 

Lauren laid back and Nancy looked at her back. She left everything on the loveseat, climbing into the bed. Lauren trembled when she put her arms around her. 

"Baby, are you crying? C'mon, turn around and look at me." 

Lauren turned around and Nancy wiped her tears. 

"I knew this would eventually come about." She whispered. "I know we would have to deal with race issues." 

"It is a fact of life. I just…if Fitz brings home a white girl I will be happy. As long as she is a good person. It is just…knowing where he came from is so important to me." 

"He came from us Nancy." 

"Baby, I don't know if you will ever be able to fully understand this. We know who Fitz is and what is in his heart. But the world will see him in a completely different way. Thankfully, it has not happened yet but he has to be poised to be a strong black man. I know that he is half-white, and he should embrace that, but outside of this house and to the whole world, he is just some black kid. I worry about him." 

"I don't want anyone to hate him because he's black." Lauren began to cry again. 

"Don't worry baby, everything is going to be fine. We will be OK." 

"But I don't know if I can raise him to be a strong black man." 

"We can do it together. Keep doing what you're doing. You're a fantastic mother." 

"Am I?" 

"Of course you are. C'mon baby, let's just go to sleep. We will talk about it in the morning." 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"I'll see you guys later." 

Fitz stuck his head in the kitchen on his way out the door. 

"Eleven o'clock." Lauren said. "I mean it." 

Fitz held up his wrist. 

"I've synchronized my watch. See ya." 

"Bye." 

Jimmy and Scooter waved before going back to their hot game of Risk. Lauren loaded the dishwasher. 

"Where is Nancy tonight?" Jimmy asked. 

"Her book club. Can I talk to you guys about something?" 

"What's wrong?" Scooter asked. 

"Um, how do I raise a strong black man?" 

Jimmy laughed. He put his beer on the table and laughed. 

"James, cut it out. This concerns your sister." 

"C'mon Scooter, tell me you saw that coming." 

"Shut up Jimmy. I'm serious. Nancy and I talked about it the other night and she said that once Fitz walked out that door he was a black man to the world at large. We have to raise him to be ready for that." 

Lauren sat at the table with a plate of beef stroganoff. She looked at her father and brother. 

"You and Nancy are doing a wonderful job raising Fitz." Jimmy said. "He is going to be a good man." 

"But a good black man? I mean African-American. See, I'm saying it wrong." 

"He will be a good man all around." Scooter said. "He knows who he is and what the world thinks…don't underestimate him. He reads, he listens, and he understands. I told him to read the _Autobiography of Malcolm X_ and _The Souls of Black Folks_. We talked about it a couple of years ago. You and Nancy were away and I sat him down and we watched _Eyes on the Prize_ , and he asked me about the South." 

"Daddy, what happened to keeping us informed?" 

"What? You know he's black. This is a journey that Fitz has to take alone, no matter how much you and Nancy want to protect him. He is going to be fine. Trust me." 

"I think we should all watch _Roots_ ; as a family." Lauren said. 

"Oh yeah, Nancy, the three white Southerners and the biracial kid. She will love that." Jimmy said. 

"You're not helping." Lauren replied through clenched teeth. 

"You two have to make that decision together. Perhaps you should read some books." 

"I studied history Jimmy, remember?" 

"Take a refresher course." Scooter replied. "There are plenty of famous, important African-American women. Write a book on one. Let's decorate the tree now…Christmas is in three days. I can kick Jimmy's ass at Risk later." 

"Dream on old man; I got you surrounded." 

Lauren smiled. 

"You guys go ahead; I'm going to finish my dinner. Daddy, do you know where the ornaments are?" 

"Yeah. Where is the stepladder?" 

"I'm not telling you." 

Scooter laughed. He squeezed her shoulder. 

"We'll put in _White Christmas_ ; make a night of it." 

"Yeah. I'll make popcorn." Lauren replied. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Fitz tiptoed in the house at 12:15. He looked up the stairs and saw that it was dark. There was a light on in the den but they always left it one for Scooter in case he wanted something in the middle of the night. He had to talk to him anyway; at least he would not trip over the coffee table and wake the whole house. 

"Hey there." 

Fitz nearly jumped out of his skin. He grabbed his chest. 

"Mum! You scared the sh…stuffing out of me." 

"Oh gee, I'm sorry. Do you know what time it is?" 

"Um, not really." 

"Take a wild guess. Why don't you take a look at that synchronized watch?" 

"I really was leaving at 11 but then…well we…I'm sorry mum." 

"Fitz, we have rules at this house for your safety. It is not a good idea for you to be wandering the streets at this hour." 

"I know mum. I was just really having a good time. Is there anyway to keep this between the two of us? Mom is going to overreact I think." 

"I will let you off with a warning this time. Since this is your first offense, we can keep it quiet. But let me tell you something, don't think I'm a pushover." 

"I don't, really. Thank you, thank you, thank you." He kissed her cheek. "I appreciate this." 

"Yeah." Lauren stood up from the couch. 

"I'm going to bed and you should too." 

"I'll be up soon." 

"If this ever happens again Fitz I won't be so nice. Do you understand me?" 

"Yes ma'am." 

Lauren went upstairs and Fitz went into his grandfather's room. He walked through the sitting room and into the bedroom. Crouching down by the bed, he tapped his grandfather. He didn't move. Rupert looked up from his post beside Scooter, saw it was Fitz, and went back to sleep. Jimmy, also in the bed, was sound asleep. 

"Grandpa? Hey Scooter?" 

Fitz poked him and Scooter opened his eyes. 

"What the hell?" the older man reached up and flipped on the lamp. "What's the matter Fitz? Wait, don't say anything…I can't hear a thing." 

Scooter grabbed his hearing aid and stuck it in his ear. 

"Don't tell your mum about that. I like to sleep in peace." 

"Something happened at the party tonight." 

Fitz sat on the bed as Scooter sat up. 

"What? Wow, it's late…did you miss curfew?" 

"We can discuss that later. I had my first kiss tonight." 

"Congratulations." He patted Fitz's shoulder. "Wake up Jimmy, the boy got kissed." 

"Good job Fitz." Jimmy replied through a haze of sleep. 

"Not really." He muttered. "It wasn't Ameenah." 

"What happened?" Scooter asked. 

"Well I just minding my business, standing around chatting. Then Hillary just came over and planted one on me. Apparently I was standing under the mistletoe." 

"What did you do?" Jimmy asked. 

"I kissed her back. I didn't know what else to do. Now what do I do?" 

"Tell Ameenah the truth." Scooter said. 

"You know what Grandpa; usually your advice is dead on. I don't think this one of those times." 

Jimmy snickered. 

"Seriously Fitz. You cannot start a relationship with a lie." 

"OK, so I tell her. Then what?" 

"Duck." Jimmy replied. 

"Shush." Scooter slapped his arm. "Honesty is the only way when dealing with women. While initially she may be mad, she will forgive you." 

Fitz nodded. 

"I'll try my very best. Thanks Grandpa. Sorry I woke you up." 

"Don't worry about it. Gimme a hug." 

Fitz hugged his grandfather, kissed his cheek, and went up to bed. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"I'm going to wrap gifts, but I have a little project first." Nancy stood in the doorway of her bedroom looking at Lauren. She sat on the floor surrounded by gifts. 

"Where is Fitz?" 

"Last minute shopping with Drew, Jeremy, and some other boy. The freckle faced kid." Lauren replied. "What are you doing?" 

"Nothing really. It will take an hour or so. You alright here?" 

"Yeah. C'mere boo boo, Gimme a kiss." 

Nancy smiled, walking in and bending to kiss her lips. 

"I thought that maybe we could get together and watch _Roots_ as a family." Lauren said. 

"Well there went my moment." 

"I just think it would be good for Fitz…good for all of us." 

"There are movies that might be a bit better for me. Can we talk about it after the holidays?" 

"OK." 

Nancy left the room. Good job McNally, she said to herself. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Fitz walked into his room early in the evening and looked around frantically. He stepped into the hallway. 

"Mom! Hey mom!" 

Nancy came out of her bedroom and looked at her son. 

"Why are you hollering? What's the matter?" 

"My room…it's gone! What is going on?" 

"Is it?" she peeked in. "Well so it is." 

"Mom, what…?" 

"12:15." 

"Huh?" 

"Don't you huh me. Your curfew is 11 o'clock. If you cannot obey rules, you have to be punished. I'm not doing this to be mean, I do it because I love you." 

"Where is my stuff?" 

"You will get it back in one week, when the punishment ends. The next time you decide that the rules are worth breaking I hope you remember this experience." 

The only things left in Fitz's room were his bed, bookshelf, desk, and big chair. The TV was gone, DVD player and all of his movies, Playstation, IPod, magazines, everything. Oh God, she probably stole his stash of Playboys. He was never going to see those again. 

"Mom, this is unfair!" 

"Would you like to make it two weeks?" Nancy asked. 

"No." he mumbled. 

"Good. Cell phone please." 

Fitz slapped his cell phone into her hand. 

"How long?" 

"One week. And then three months of a 10 o'clock curfew." 

"What!" 

"What?" she narrowed her eyes. 

Fitz sighed loudly. 

"I'm sorry mom, really." 

"I know. Go to your room." 

"Can I least hang out in the basement?" 

"Yeah, go ahead. I unplugged the TV." 

"You've covered everything." He replied. 

Mumbling to himself, Fitz went downstairs. Lauren came and looked into his room. 

"You're not playing any games Dr. McNally." She said. 

"Damn right. Bet you he won't break curfew anymore." 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The doorbell rang at 6:30 and Lauren answered it. 

"Hey Mrs. McNally." 

"Hi Meenah. Fitz is um…" 

"I know he's on lockdown. I was hoping to get like 15 minutes since my family is spending the actual holiday in New Jersey. Would that be alright?" 

"OK honey, come on in. He is in the basement." 

"Thank you." She handed Lauren a bag. "It's from my parents." 

"That was so nice. I will give you yours before you leave." 

Meenah nodded, stopping to say hi to Scooter and Jimmy before going into the basement. 

"Hey Fitz. Or is it prisoner 16932 now." 

"Ha ha, that is hilarious. How did you get past the Gestapo?" 

"I charmed your mum. We don't have long. Are you OK?" 

"Yeah I guess." He grumbled. 

"Hey bud, this is your own fault. An hour and fifteen minutes past…what did you expect? It could have been worse." 

"I got three months of a 10 o'clock curfew." 

"Ooh, ouch. Well that is my curfew until I'm fifteen anyway. Merry Christmas." 

"Wait, before you do that I have to tell you something." 

"Fitz George McNally Pierdon." 

"Don't do that!" his hazel eyes widened. "You mustn't ever channel the mothers." 

"You didn't get me a Christmas present. It is either channeling the mothers or words I would not say." 

"I did so. That is not what I was going to tell you." 

"Oh, what is it?" 

"Um…Hillary Nelson kissed me." 

"What?" 

"It was at the party. I was under the mistletoe. I swear she came out of nowhere and just tongued me." 

"And what were you doing?" Meenah asked. 

"Trying to escape. Seriously, I swear to God." 

She rolled her eyes. 

"Whatever. Open your present." 

"Aren't you mad?" 

"Dunno. Did you like it?" 

"Absolutely not! No! Swear to God." 

"Oh, so the thought of a girl kissing you is completely unappealing?" 

"Well no, but…wait…I'm a tad bit confused by…" 

Meenah pulled his face to hers, kissing him softly on the lips. Fitz smiled. 

"Wow. I…" 

She kissed him again, this time sliding her tongue into his mouth. Fitz pulled her closer. 

"So, how was your second kiss?" she asked when they finally grew tired. 

"Cool. The third one rocked! How about the fourth?" 

"Get real…you're on probation for letting that harpie near you. Open your gift." 

Fitz tore the paper off and found the Black Hawk Down computer game. 

"Awesome! I have to wait a week to play it but this is going to be cool. Here's your gift." 

Meenah pulled seven pairs of socks out of the bag. 

"Socks?" 

"Not just any socks. They have the days of the week on them." 

"You bought me socks? What are you, my grandma?" 

"There is something else in the bag. That was just the warm up." 

Pursing her lips, Meenah reached in and pulled out the Macys box. She opened it and smiled. 

"It's beautiful." 

"You said you always wanted a locket. You really like it?" 

"I do. Thank you so much." 

"I think that calls for another kiss." Fitz said. 

"I think you're an egomaniac." She replied. 

"C'mere." 

He pulled her to him and kissed her just like he and Jimmy had discussed. Girls liked it when you did the Rhett Butler every once in a while. Meenah stroked his cheek. 

"I should go. Technically you are on punishment." 

"Yeah. Will you call me Christmas morning?" 

"Uh huh. See ya." 

"Bye. Hey, so you're not too mad about the Hillary thing?" 

"She was your first kiss, but I think I am going to be your last." 

"Lofty goals." 

"Merry Christmas Fitz." 

She walked up the stairs and Fitz jumped up and down cheering. That was the best Christmas gift he had ever gotten. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Fitz stumbled down the stairs on Christmas morning at ten. He walked into the kitchen. 

"Do I smell chicken and scrapple?" he asked. 

"Yeah. Merry Christmas." 

Fitz went to his grandfather and kissed him. Then he kissed his Uncle and mothers before sitting at the table. 

"This food looks good." He said. 

"We were wondering when you were coming down." Lauren said. "You slept in this year…you're usually the one waking us." 

"I was up late reading. George gave me a copy of Barack Obama's autobiography." 

"You were up late reading?" Nancy asked. 

"I don't have much choice at the moment. I have already counted all the stars on my wallpaper." 

"12:15." She replied. 

"So noted." 

"We should open all the gifts before the football games come on." Scooter said. 

"I'm ready." Fitz replied, stuffing scrapple down his throat. 

"Did we all obey the one gift rule?" Nancy asked as Lauren cleared the table. 

"Yes." They said in unison. 

"Well let's go." 

Lauren laid out coffee and croissants on a tray, carrying it into the den. Fitz took two pieces of scrapple, two spoonfuls of grits and put it on toast. Nancy cringed. 

"You first Fitz." Scooter handed him a box. 

"Thanks." 

He tore the paper and found the _Complete Works of Tupac Shakur_. 

"This is awesome Scooter!" 

"Are they the edited versions?" Nancy asked. 

"I think so." Scooter replied. 

"You are lying." 

"It is all of his CDs, plus a 90 page booklet. Your friends will love it." 

He began to tear into his other gifts. The $100 Tower gift certificate from Jimmy; 2 weeks at fantasy football camp from Lauren; and a laptop from Nancy. 

"You can have it when punishment ends." She said. 

"Thank you mom." 

"There is other stuff under there for you from the uncles and aunts." 

"I know. Open your gift." 

Nancy opened the Acqua Di Gio gift basket and smiled. 

"C'mere you." 

Fitz hugged her and she kissed his face. 

"I love you muffin." 

"I love you too mom." 

Scooter did his best to remain cool when he saw the scooter Nancy bought for him. She had it made entirely of silver and chrome with a black leather seat so it looked more like a Harley than a Lark. It even had a small side seat for Rupert. 

"Scooter, can I ride it around the block?" Fitz asked. 

"Forget it." Lauren replied. 

Scooter laughed, whispering to Fitz that they would take it for a spin later on. The leather jacket Fitz got him to go with his new wheels almost made him cry. 

"This cost too much money." He complained. 

"You have to be the coolest grandpa on the block. Ladies love the wheels but the jacket makes the look." 

Lauren got him the _Winds of War_ and _War and Remembrance_ on DVD. Jimmy got him a Cartier watch. 

"Please Scooter that old watch can finally be put out to pasture." 

"Thank you, but I will keep the old one too." 

Fitz got his Uncle fishing poles that went perfect with the new fishing boat Nancy and Lauren bought for him. 

"No, this is too much." Jimmy said, hugging them both. 

"Don't be silly." Nancy said. "We splurge once a year. You deserve it." 

"My gift seems small in comparison." Scooter handed him the box. 

Jimmy ripped the paper off and smiled. It was a chess set, all the pieces carved from ivory. 

"It is a chess set from the Russian Revolution era. Unfortunately it is a replica, but a damn good one if I do say so myself and it is from the 1940s." 

"It is good." Jimmy examined the pieces. "I love this. I'll be using it to kick your butt later old man." 

"Keep dreaming boy. Its good to have goals." 

They all laughed. 

"You're next mum." Fitz said. "Merry Christmas." 

"Thank you sweetie. It's a new cell phone." 

"Yeah, the kind with the video camera so you can make those home movies you are always talking about." 

"How does it work?" 

"All the stuff can be downloaded onto your computer." He said. "I'll help." 

"You'll have to." Nancy replied. 

Lauren gently slapped her arm, opening Scooter's gift. He bought her an IMac so she could carry all of her research materials with her on the road. 

"You said you needed a new laptop so there you go sweetie. The girl at the store told me it was the best. I hope she wasn't trying to con an elderly man." 

"No daddy, this is the best." She kissed him. 

She ripped open Jimmy's gift and gasped. 

"It is a joint gift." He said. 

"And you bitched at us for the boat." She replied. 

"What is it?" Nancy looked at the tickets. 

"A trip to Italy." 

"Jimmy! Wow!" 

"It is a choice of five spas just in case. A week of the royal treatment plus accommodations. I know you girls love to indulge in vacations. It is good for three years so you don't have to rush with making plans." 

"This is amazing. I have the best big brother on the planet." 

"You really do. Open your gifts Nance so we can watch sports." 

Nancy sucked her teeth. She pulled the heavy one from Scooter toward her. It was a black and white art piece. 

"I love this." 

It was two naked women, one black and the other white, curled on a bed. Appropriate shadowing kept it very tasteful. 

"I thought you could hang it in the bedroom or the study." He replied. 

"Wait, Nancy didn't give me my gift." Lauren said. 

"It has to be under there somewhere." She said. 

"Here it is." 

Fitz handed his mother the envelope. Lauren held it up to the light. 

"Open it." Fitz said. 

"You know what it is, don't you?" 

"Maybe." 

Lauren opened it. 

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" 

She threw her arms around Nancy and kissed her passionately. 

"Share the love." Jimmy said. 

"Two first class tickets to Rio de Janeiro. When do we leave?" 

"We're going over spring break." Nancy replied. 'That is in March." 

"Yes! Nude beach, here I come." 

"Mum!" Fitz covered his ears. "Kid in the room." 

They laughed. Lauren handed Nancy her gift. She looked at the photo of a house in a sterling silver picture frame. 

"Forgive my confusion." She said. "Is the frame the gift?" 

"No, the house is." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I bought you, well us really, a house. In Puerto Rico. On the beach, one acre, ours whenever we want." 

"You bought me a house." Nancy repeated. She was breathless. 

"Yeah." 

"Oh baby, I love you." 

"I love you too." 

They hugged, and Nancy kissed her cheek. 

"Its amazing." 

"Wait until you see the inside. We can retire there someday. I thought we could go down for a long weekend for our anniversary." 

"Do you guys plan to be at home any this year?" Scooter asked. 

"Doesn't look that way." Lauren replied. 

"Sweet." 

Fitz and Scooter high-fived. Nancy glared at them. 

"There will be no strippers, and no kegs." 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Lauren and I are going to nap for a while." 

"Dinner at 4:30." Scooter said. 

"Nap? Is that what they're calling it now?" Jimmy asked. 

Fitz snickered. 

"I don't even know why I bother with this one." Nancy pointed to her son. "He comes by the smartass thing honest. Don't get used to the TV…no more after dinner." 

"What about Meenah calling?" he asked. 

"15 minutes. Punishment is supposed to be just that." 

They went upstairs, hand and hand, waiting until they were behind the closed bedroom door to kiss. 

"Rio." Lauren mumbled between kisses. "I love it." 

"My gift seems small compared to yours." 

"Don't be silly; your gift is fantastic. We've never been there you know." 

Lauren tried to move them over to the bed but Nancy stopped her. 

"What?" 

"There is actually another part of your gift I have up here." 

She went to the drawer, pulled out a black box, and handed it to Lauren. They sat down together on the bed as she opened it. 

"Oh, these are going to be perfect." 

"One for every day we're there." 

There were seven pairs of satin string bikinis in various colors. The rainbow pair quickly became Lauren's favorite. 

"You do realize this will be all I wear right?" she asked. 

"That is what I hoped." 

Nancy threw her on the bed, her tee shirt coming off on the way down. Lauren hummed softly as Nancy's mouth caressed her skin and teased her nipples to attention. She ran her fingers through her curly hair. 

"Merry Christmas. I love you so much Nance." 

"I love you too." 

All the clothes were soon gone, and in the throes of passion neither woman cared if her cries of pleasure turned to shouts of joy. 

"Do you think they heard us downstairs?" Lauren asked. 

She and Nancy lay above the covers, naked, and flushed in afterglow. Her cheek rested on Nancy's stomach; arms wrapped around her torso. The former National Security Advisor's breathing finally regulated. 

"I could honestly care less. That was mind blowing." 

"Mmm, yeah it was." 

"We will have to christen every room of the new house. Just like this house." 

"Are we leaving the boys in New York?" Lauren asked. 

Nancy stroked her hair as Lauren kissed her stomach. 

"They are both old enough to know when to go to the beach. Speaking of old…it is naptime." 

She brought Lauren into her arms, pulling the comforter over them and cocooning inside for a couple of hours peace and quiet. 


End file.
